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WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, Dec. 23, 2008) – New Zealand has retaliated to Fiji expelling its acting High Commissioner by moving to send the Fiji High Commissioner in Wellington home.

Fiji’s interim High Commissioner in Wellington, Cama Tuiloma, is to be ordered to leave as soon as possible.

The expulsion came just over an hour after news from Suva that Caroline McDonald was told she had been declared persona non grata in Fiji.

The action against Ms McDonald followed indication this week from the interim government that it wanted to improve its relationship with New Zealand.

Fiji’s interim prime minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama threatened last week to expel Ms McDonald if a student visa was not granted to the son of a senior official in the president’s office.

SUVA, Fiji (Fijilive, Dec. 22, 2008) – The lack of common courtesy, respect, public decorum and demeanor of young Fijians, particularly in village settings, was a concern discussed among chiefs during the recent Bose ni Turaga at the Queen Elizabeth Barracks.

Interim Indigenous Affairs Minister Ratu Epeli Nailatikau said the issue was brought up after a presentation from the Institute of Fijian Language and Culture.

The presentation focused on the preservation of Fijian cultural practices and the responsibility for the custody and transmission of those practices, particularly to younger people.

Chiefs were also urged to take on the responsibility of encouraging their vanua to observe proper protocol and accepted standards of conduct and behaviour.

The two-day BNT last week provided the interim Government an opportunity to present its plans to chiefs, clan heads and invited guests.

HONIARA, Solomon Islands (SIBC, Dec. 23, 2008) – Solomon Airlines has announced an increase of 19 per cent on its Domestic route.

A statement from the airline says the increase was previously approved by the Air Transport Licensing Authority, ATLA, but withheld until 2009.

In its initial announcement of the increase in airfares earlier this year, Solomon Airlines indicated a vast disparity within the region on Domestic fares and together with its submission to ATLA, received a 40 per cent fare increase.

The Airlines then determined that it would work with the new board to apply some internal controls and thereby defer the full impact of the increase to a later date, which was implied as early 2009 would be the time thus not impacting on Christmas travels.

The airline said that most of the public would have already paid for their return travel and therefore, an early January start of the increase...

PORT VILA, Vanuatu (Vanuatu Daily Post, Dec. 19, 2008) – The government has taken steps to set up an independent Commission of Enquiry to investigate the prisoners’ claims of maltreatment and abuse allegedly going on in the Correctional services facility at Stade.

Reports reaching the Post reveal Professor Don Patterson has been elected Chairperson of the Commission.

George Tarimanu from the PM’s office said the findings of the inquiry will help the government take necessary steps to address the issue.

Meanwhile the controversial prisoner’s report had warned: "All prisoners held in dangerous buildings must be evacuated /released anytime during the 14 days of receiving this report…if not we will rightly walk out of these prison premises after the expiry deadline.

That deadline is today and it remains to be seen what exactly will happen at the Stade facility.

SUVA, Fiji (Fijilive,Dec. 22, 2008) – The moratorium on commercial farming on State land is expected to be lifted by January next year.

Interim Attorney-General Aiyaz-Saiyed Khaiyum said a number of entrepreneurs eyed vast tracts of state land for commercial farming in Nadi, Lautoka and Ba.

However, these entrepreneurs were unable to use the land because leases on State lands were restricted to agricultural purposes, he said at the post Budget forum at the Holiday Inn.

"For example between the Nadi and Lautoka corridor, Lautoka-Ba corridor there are a lot of applications for commercial developments," Sayed-Khaiyum said. "So the moratorium will now be removed. You can now get into commercial and other developments, which include commercial agriculture.

"You cannot, for example, expect to pay $1000 for a 20- acre piece State land - which you had paid to have a agricultural lease and expect to pay the same...

TONGA KING’S CORONATION LEFT BILL OF $9.6 MILLION Elaborate uniform, food, and brand new throne

NUKUALOFA, Tonga (Radio Tonga News, Dec. 22, 2008) - The economic impact of the Coronation of His Majesty King George Tupou V on Tonga's economy is estimated at 19.7 million pa’anga [US$9.6 million].

[PIR editor’s note: The Central Intelligence Agency says that, in the year 2000, Tongan citizens had an average income of US$220,000 ]

This was the result of a survey and analysis carried out by Dr. Semisi Taumoepau, in conjunction with the New Zealand Tourism Research Institute (NZTRI) based at the Auckland University of Technology. Dr. Semisi Taumoepeau, a former Director of Tourism for Tonga, is the Head of the Hospitality and Tourism Management programme at AIS St Helens, Auckland and is an Associate Director of the NZTRI.

"Hosting of special and major events in the South Pacific region generate a substantial amount of economic benefits to host countries,...

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, Dec. 23, 2008) – More than 200 state workers, including 90 judges and 42 administrators, will forgo a pay hike next year under a bill proposed by Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle.

The Honolulu Star Bulletin reports the bill is aimed at resolving the state’s looming 1.1 billion US dollar budget shortfall.

The proposed suspension of pay hikes will save the state 4.1 million dollars over two years.

Pacific Islands Report is a nonprofit news publication of the Pacific Islands Development Program at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Offered as a free service to readers, PIR provides an edited digest of news, commentary and analysis from across the Pacific Islands region, Monday - Friday.